


Best Cat Ever

by ancalime8301



Series: Spencer Stories [25]
Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Cats, Community: watsons_woes, Fluff, Gen, Inspired by Real Events, Pets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-19
Updated: 2014-07-19
Packaged: 2018-02-09 11:46:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1981818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ancalime8301/pseuds/ancalime8301
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spencer performs an admirable act of service.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Best Cat Ever

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [watsons_woes](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/) JWP day 18 prompt: _Honored With a Star. A character earns or is awarded some honor. What the award is, and why, is of course up to you - as is the recipient._  
>  (And yes, this was inspired by that recent news story involving a little boy, a dog, and a cat coming to the boy's rescue.)

It wasn't unusual for Spencer to go off to places unknown during the day, usually returning around dinnertime. There were a few times I could have sworn I saw him in the park while I was taking my own constitutional, but it was certainly possible that there were other orange cats wandering about the metropolis.

Then one day Spencer returned around teatime, bearing a blue ribbon around his neck. A rolled up piece of child's drawing paper had been tied in the ribbon's bow. While Spencer ordinarily objected to having anything on or around his body--there was a time we tried putting a collar on him, but he would have none of it--this encumbrance he did not seem to mind.

Still, mindful that the ribbon could catch on something and choke him, I carefully untied it, scratching behind Spencer's ears as I did so. He purred and butted his head against my hand in encouragement.

I unrolled the paper to reveal a rudimentary attempt at a portrait of Spencer along with what seemed to be a depiction of a blue first-prize ribbon. "Best cat ever" it said across the bottom in childish scrawl, and was signed 'Lucy.' What was not at all clear was why Spencer merited such a designation, but I thought it rather amusing that he had found such favor with this young girl.

The explanation came in the evening paper: evidently there had been an incident in the park that afternoon in which a dog abruptly attacked a young girl playing with her doll and a "brave orange cat" appeared out of nowhere and chased off the dog. The reporter went on at length about the dog being at least twice the size of the cat and the cat's fearlessness in coming to the girl's aid.

I read the article with a sense of astonishment, though at least it explained quite well why the girl would create such a drawing in Spencer's honor. The story indicated the name and address of the family, and I resolved to pay them a visit--primarily as a doctor interested in making sure the girl was not badly hurt, but also so that little Lucy could know the name of her rescuer.

Spencer must have sensed the aim of my mission, for he followed me out of the house and all the way to the family's door. The girl's father was understandably reluctant to give me a hearing, my doctor's bag notwithstanding, but then he spied the cat at my heels. My welcome was assured after that.

I was relieved to find the girl was, indeed, not much hurt; she did get bitten, but the bite was not deep and it had been cleaned well. The girl and her mother enthused over Spencer, offering him many bits of food and petting him endlessly. He even allowed Lucy to grab him around the middle and carry him about the room for a while before he meowed pitifully and I persuaded her to release him.

I took my leave when it appeared that Spencer was reaching the limit of his endurance, and he was very quick to follow me out the door. We were on the pavement a short distance from their door when Spencer stopped and meowed at me. I looked down at him and he stared at me beseechingly; it took me a little while to understand that he wanted me to carry him.

I chuckled and picked him up carefully. "Did they feed you too much, you poor thing?" I teased as he settled against my chest, his chin resting on my shoulder. He licked my neck and mewed.

We walked home in companionable silence, and I found I had to agree with Lucy: Spencer was definitely the best cat ever.


End file.
